The difference between file types

Once you get all your files from a designer it can be confusing which ones to use and what to send to a printers or upload online. Here is a quick intro to each file type that you might recieve.

Raster files

Raster files are made up of small dotes and once you make it bigger than original size it becomes blurry/pixelated.

JPG

Can’t be transparent. So if it is saved with a white background, that will always show.

Used for photos, but also files with backgrounds f.ex for facebook cover & profile photos.

When saving images for your website, social media or anything online its usually best to go for JPG and make sure it’s the exact size you need it as and lowest quality before it starts looking pixelated. This is to make your websites load faster.

PNG

Supports transparency. When saved without a background, this will be transparent.

For example for your logo, you can add that on top of an image and only the logo will show.

To make sure people know it’s your photo, add your logo to the corner of your shared images. You can also add your website link or name written at the bottom.

Vector files

Vector files can be made bigger and not loose the quality and always stay smooth.